Michele Dargan

Retired staff writer

Michele Dargan retired in April after more than 28 years working as a reporter and editor at newspapers in Connecticut and South Florida. During her time working for the Daily News, she won many awards, including the 1998 Best of Cox Newspapers Award for feature writing and the Florida Press Club’s 2014 Lucy Morgan Award for In-Depth Reporting.

Latest from Michele Dargan

A recent survey of area public safety departments revealed what police and firefighters have been telling town officials for several years — their pensions are not competitive. The survey — of 14 police departments and 12 fire-rescue organizations — showed that Palm Beach’s retirement benefit is 50 percent to 65 ...

Among the notable court news this season was the settlement of a high-profile defamation case between law professor Alan Dershowitz and the two attorneys who represent victims of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Attorneys Brad Edwards and Paul Cassell sued Dershowitz for defamation in January 2015 and Dershowitz filed a defamation ...

The Palm Beach Republican Club will host a luncheon with two ambassadors May 9 at The Colony.Speaking to the group will be Ambassador Eric Javits, U.S. representative to the Conference on Disarmament (2001-03) and to the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (2005-09), and Ambassador Howard Leach, U.S. ambassador to ...

One of the things Lt. Scott Symonette loves most about being a firefighter is the multifaceted aspect of the job. “I like the unknown, having something different on any given day, something rewarding, saving people’s lives and people’s homes,” said Symonette, who will retire at the end of April after ...

Becoming a firefighter was a family affair for Palm Beach Fire Marshal Tim Pompos. His childhood memories include hanging out at the fire station with his father, William Pompos, who served as a captain with the City of Hialeah Fire Department. “I sat in the front truck with my dad ...

Police charged a Long Island man Tuesday with grand theft of a motor vehicle, after he allegedly drove a stolen car into Palm Beach and ran from police when they tried to stop him, police said. Nicholas Charles DeFranco, 26, also was charged with resisting an officer without violence and ...

Palm Beach police charged a Lauderdale Lakes woman with failure to yield the right of way Monday night after she crashed her car into a pack of bicyclists on North County Road, according to an accident report. A 56-year-old male bicyclist sustained “extensive traumatic injuries” when he struck the rear ...

UPDATE: Palm Beach police released new details of the North End distraction theft that occurred Wednesday evening The victim returned home at 6 p.m. and saw a black Infinity SUV speeding out of the driveway with two occupants. Jewelry was stolen from the master bedroom and there was no forced ...

The Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians and Jews is expected to finish in the black when the budget year ends June 30, Treasurer David Thomas said this week. “Following last year’s modest deficit, the fellowship successfully focused attention on increasing membership and providing programs that connected to the community,” said ...

The Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday to consider two options for improving pensions and benefits for public safety employees. Both scenarios included lowering the retirement age, increasing the multiplier used to determine pension payments, changing to a defined benefit plan from the unpopular hybrid plan and increasing employee contributions to ...